Movie : The Professionals

We meet our 4 professionals in various scenes at the top. They are picked up by a train in the employ of a millionaire who wants to hire the 4 to get his wife back from a Mexican Bandit. She was kidnapped. He is offering the 4 ten grand each to deliver the $100,000 ransom and get his wife back. The odds are not in the four’s favor. They have to travel deep into Mexico through hard, rough country then try to get the woman away from overwhelming numbers. There is also a twist to the job. Two of our guys know the bandit. They fought with him in the Mexican revolution. So we set off with the four as they make their way to get the job done. It’s going to be a rough ride.

CB is a sucker for a good duster with a basic story-line. Go get the girl back and get paid. This film did not disappoint. Richard Brooks directs and uses what’s at his disposal to make a good entertaining picture. His cinematographer Conrad L. Hall captures the environment and takes you into this beautiful hard landscape. Great work. Brooks also casts it near perfect.

Lee Marvin, Burt Lancaster, Robert Ryan, Jack Palance and Woody Strode. Come on man, you can’t miss. They all bring what’s needed to the roles. Burt running around throwing dynamite, Lee playing with guns, Robert taking care of the horses, Woody brings his bow into play and Jack just being Jack and hanging with Claudia Cardinale.

Cool characters, adventure, great setting, bad odds and a western. CB couldn’t lose. The film delivers. If you like westerns I don’t think you’ll be disappointed. Films like this made me a movie fan. So bring whatever talent you have to do the job, bring it and join the Professionals.

‘Bunch’ is a special film but yeah you’re bang on. I think ‘The Professionals’ does its job and takes us to a different time and place for a couple of hours. Great cast and the cinematography is fantastic.

I just checked it out. I vaguely remember this. I love that style. I might have to check it out. I like those old (and new) British crime/spy flicks. So much to watch and listen to. I have ‘River’ on my watch list. It was recommended to me.

I think you said the same thing about ‘Hombre’ if i remember. One night when you feel like taking a trip to Mexico and don’t want to actually go there. Watch this film and get a little piece of the country and hang with Lee, Burt and the boys. You can be the 5th “Professional’. Later fella

I guess I expected more from this great cast, director, and cinematographer. I thought it an OK way to kill two hours, but nothing exceptional. Leonard Maltin calls it a good actioner, but farfetched story, and I guess I agree.

Yeah, it’s a bit of a fantasy film for guys like CB. I’m sure you would get lots of agreement on how it grabbed you. Like I said from my experience with it back in the day “I’m a sucker for a good duster” . Lots that I liked.

(So you started with a non fiction huh. Lots of good stuff in that one. If you have the same copy, the middle of last paragraph on page 256 “western myths” talking about his friend Bernard DeVoto. I love that piece. Enjoy Pete).

Side note. We’d been reminiscing about how there used to be so many TV Westerns back in the day. Then on Jeopardy the other night they said there were 25 on TV in 1959 alone. I found a site that detailed them and if I’m reading it right there were twice that number. Now they’ve largely disappeared to be replaced by hospital, cop and reality shows.

Paladin, Wanted Dead or Alive, Rawhide, Wagon Train, Rifleman …..
I was and still am a big Marvin, Ryan, Palance and Lancaster guy. They were made for westerns and made some good ones. I like this movie.

Wild West was a good one. Double Knot Spies, Cowboys, Private Dicks .. CB was all over that stuff.
I heard through the “Hollywood Grapevine” (I have my sources) that the stunt guys wouldn’t work with the Kung Fu guy because he wouldn’t pull his punches. Could be bullshit but I like it. So there you go Grasshopper.

This!! I was thinking “I don’t know this” until I started reading and saw the pictures. I’ve seen this, but somehow never knew the name. Likely one of those that has been on TCM when I’ve dropped in on the old man and I just kept watching without checking the title…

Could you imagine hanging out with these dudes? Just riding through the badlands looking for the right side of trouble. Knowing these guys have got your back if things get out of hand. That would have been awesome

The cinematographer captures the country. Like ‘3 Burials’ you feel you’re there. Yeah J, they had so many actors back then who were perfect casting. All the guys in this, the Wild Bunch, Eastwood, Van Cleef. They had the weight for these hard men.